


Assassin

by BigCityWitch



Series: Zutara month 2017 [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bloodbending, F/M, Minor Violence, Zuko's not banished
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 01:08:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13202469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigCityWitch/pseuds/BigCityWitch
Summary: When Prince Zuko lays in his bed and hears someone entering his room from the window, he prepares for another attempt on his life. So they dance their deadly dance in the moonlight.





	Assassin

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo I finally edited it. Hope you enjoy :)

Zuko woke up to a breeze of cool air on his face. Someone had opened his window, another assassin? Slowly he slid his hand towards the dao swords hidden under his pillow carefully maintaining the impression of being fast asleep.

A small thud of feet confirmed his suspicion. An amateur then, a professional would be completely soundless. He suppressed a groan. Why did an amateur even bother to try, when even professionals failed? It's just annoying.

A smirk grew on his face as the floorboard near to his bed creaked. With one fluid motion, he drew the swords from their hiding spot and swung them towards, where he supposed the intruder's throat was. Obviously, his wanna-be assassin wasn't a complete amateur since he was fast enough to dodge the surprise attack while cursing under his breath.

Preparing for a proper fight Zuko quickly lit the torches in his room, to get a better look at his attacker. Only for them to be doused almost immediately. All he had managed to see was a most definitely female form clad in black, which he charged again without missing a beat.

"You're not the target, let me leave and you'll be safe"

She skilfully danced around his attacks but had yet to attack.

"I won't let you kill anyone, you'll have to go through me"

He could only see her silhouette in the moonlight, but it was enough to see her change her posture.

"Pighead"

When he attacked again, he lost his footing as he slipped on some ice. It wasn't enough to make him fall, but the split second of distraction had been long enough for a waterwhip to come dangerously close to his face forcing him to dodge. The tables had turned and he found himself dodging quite a lot until he managed to break the pattern.

It was a dangerous dance, they performed encased in the faint moonlight - vicious, ever-changing water against precise, controlled steel, neither able to beat the other.

Distantly, he wondered why the guards hadn't charged in yet but refused to call them. He wasn't a damsel in distress, he could fight for himself.

Soon he found a small crack in her defense and smirked. A second later he had her with her back against the wall and the blades crossed against her throat.

"Seems like you lost. Who sent you? What is your mission?"

This close he could see her startlingly bright blue eyes, which were currently glaring at him.

"I sent me. Let me go and you'll be safe, Prince Zuko."

Despite the situation, a chuckle escaped him. She sounded so sure of herself while his blades dug into her skin.

"It seems you misjudge the situation you're in. You're at my mercy."

Her eyes took a dangerous glint as she smirked sending a chill down his spine even now. She was bluffing, wasn't she?

"Is that so?"

His arms withdrew the blades from her without his consent leaving him to stare at his own limbs. He could feel his face go pale as he tried to comprehend what was happening.

"Because I think it's just the other way round, Prince Zuko"  
He looked at her with pure horror as none of his limbs seemed to be under his command anymore.

"What... What is this? What are you doing to me?"

Her laughter as she walked him backward reminded him of Azula. Maybe it was a girls thing to laugh like a cold maniac when boys were at their mercy, who knows.

"Tonight you're going to become a traitor. Fuelled by greed Crown Prince Zuko killed his father and sister, to come to power, but as soon as he was done guilt made him kill himself. A tragic thing."  
"I wouldn't ever! I won't do anything!"

His traitorous hands brought the blades straight to his own throat to prove him wrong.

"You will avenge my mother"

"No, please! Stop! Don't -"

She seemed to have enough of his words as even his own voice didn't obey him anymore. Just what was the extent of the power she wielded?

When she opened the secret passage to his father's chambers, panic surged through him. He fought with all his might against the power moving him, but it was hopeless as she didn't even seem to notice his struggle. All he could think of was to hold his breath to get himself unconscious.

"I can move your body regardless of your consciousness, but go ahead if you want to miss the rest."

They were already in Ozais bedchamber. He wanted to scream to warn him but found his lips still sealed. Hot tears of despair ran down his cheeks as he lifted the swords meant for his own safety against his father.

Why didn't he notice them? Why? He had been the one lecturing him about the advantages of a light sleep, for Agni's sake! Now he would be killed in his sleep by the hands of his son...

Sure, he had invited him to try to kill him at the Agni Kai, but this wasn't a fair fight. Hell even if it was, he would rather take another scar before he would fight his own father!

The blades flew towards Ozais throat, but as they touched his skin Zuko almost hit himself as his fighting back met no resistance anymore. The hold on his limbs had vanished as suddenly as it had come. Turning around he found that the same could be said for the assassin.

Fleeing the scene he ran back to his own chambers. In the corner next to the still open window he found her sitting with her knees against her chest, shoulders trembling.

What the hell was this? The terrifying assassin was sitting in his room... crying? Absolutely at a loss about what to do, he lit the torches.

It did quite a lot of damage to his ego, to notice that the fighter, who had bested him, was a thin girl a few years younger than him.

She looked so fragile, that he had trouble believing it was really her, who had taken control over his body.

"What was that? Why did you stop?"

Blue watery eyes found his and Agni help him, she was beautiful.

"I couldn't... I guess today's your lucky day, apparently, I'm too weak to kill someone"

A bitter smile formed on her lips and she pulled her knees nearer to her chest. He was still in shock, why else would he want to comfort her? She had almost made him kill his father for crying out loud!

"Your people killed my mother and I can't even avenge her"

It sounded bitter, but her eyes betrayed just how broken she felt and it tugged at his heart.

"They took mine, too" he answered without thinking. Clearly, he was losing his mind. Hey, this is Zuko, and the only ones I manage to open up to are my uncle and ridiculously beautiful and terrifying assassins...

When she slowly stood up, he stood perfectly still as she approached him. He startled when her hand touched the scarred side of his face, it felt cool and soft. Searching her face for a threat, for a sign that this was the assassin, who had used his own hands against him he only found gentle eyes full of pain and sympathy.

"I'm sorry"

He wasn't sure, whether she meant him losing his mother or what had happened tonight, but couldn't ask because his world went black.

 

When he woke up the next morning, he immediately checked for his dao blades finding them under his pillow, where they belonged. That had been a hell of a nightmare, he thought.

But if the wind coming through the open window gently playing with his curtains, had not been enough to prove his encounter with the waterbender, the sudden absence of the bruises, he had gained in his training, was.

Who would try to kill someone at first and then heal them?

Well, probably someone who could go from terrifying to crying in the span of one minute, or almost make a son kill his father and then say sorry.

This had been officially the weirdest attempt on his life ever.


End file.
